Andrew Holmes has been fighting cancer since age 3. He has been through two long treatment periods that lasted several years and is once again in the battle against Leukemia. The cancer is now invading his spine and brain. Currently, he is at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida undergoing treatment culminating with a bone marrow transplant.

Mark Holmes, Andrew’s uncle, started the Andrew Holmes Recovery Fund several years ago. Due to Andrew’s recent diagnosis, Mark has restarted the fund. “It’s a very large mountain to climb and in fact, insurmountable on their own,” said Mark. Please, join us in spreading the word of Andrew and Mark’s story.

If you would like to help Andrew and his cause, donate to the recovery fund and check out Andrew’s blog.

Here at Boardroom Communications, we encourage everyone to get involved in professional organizations and not-for-profit organizations.

Just recently, our very own Don Silver was reelected to the Board of Directors of the South Florida Chapter of NAIOP as Vice President of Media and Public Relations. Don has been involved with the organization for more than a decade and chairs the Public Relations committee.

Don was also reelected to the 2012 Executive Council for Legal Aid Services of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. The council promotes and acts as ambassadors in the community for the organization. Legal Aid assists more than 150 not-for-profits and 10,000 individuals in need each year.

Spring cleaning came early in the office this year for Boardroom Communications! The Boardroom team worked together to clean out old supplies and files. With so many office supplies left over, Boardroom account executives decided not to let everything go to waste. Instead Boardroom made a donation to the Council for Educational Change, a statewide, non-profit organization that focuses on leadership to improve student achievement and address critical education issues.

Boardroom reminds you to recycle and remember that simple gestures can make a difference!

As a South Florida public relations firm, we’ve seen the damage that the absence of a crisis communications plan can cause to any organization. The most recent example on the national stage came earlier this month when Susan G. Komen for the Cure cut funding from Planned Parenthood. Now, Komen — the largest national breast cancer non-profit — has a new mandate: To reel in the pink ribbions it’s been threading all over the media and take corrective action.

Reversing its plans to deny funding to Planned Parenthood on Friday, Komen has some serious damage control ahead to combat the 72-hour media storm it created.

Komen found itself inundated with criticism when it publically announced it would no longer provide funding for Planned Parenthood’s breast exam and educational activities geared toward low-income women. The premise for the cut: Komen would not support organizations under “investigation.” Planned Parenthood was facing a questionable inquiry by Republican lawmakers. It didn’t help Komen that a vice president was an ardent and vocal right-to-life supporter.

It’s no surprise that the move resulted in a national backlash against an otherwise highly respected organization. People withdrew support. Some women’s advocates cried foul. Even its California offices issued a statement decrying the decision.

Huffington Post described the move as “one of the most boneheaded political miscalculations that will have serious ramifications for Komen: supporters won’t forget this for years to come.”

First, Komen president Nancy Goodman Brinker hit the web with a video supporting its decision. Then days later and facing the backlash from supporters and women’s groups, Komen amended its statements to only cut funding to groups under investigations that are “criminal and conclusive in nature and not political.”

This is no way to fight a national P.R. fiasco.

Komen needs to enact a simple but effective crisis communications plan to clarify that it’s an organization that helps women. Like any organization, it must consider the potential publicity and negative ramifications of its actions before making moves or statements.

If it seeks to cut funding to various organizations it has supported in the past – a move that’s completely within its right – it must make sure the cuts don’t reek of politics or frivolous, agenda-motivated policy.

We give Komen kudos for recognizing its egregious error and taking action to right its course. But it now needs to stress that its mission as an organization is in tandem with that of Planned Parenthood – two organizations striving to better women’s health.

Then, it should get a crisis communications plan in place.

It’s great to generate good news about our clients!  An outstanding event celebrating pioneering Jewish families was created and launched by the Jewish Federation of Broward County.  It was a ‘mitzvah’ to see great media coverage in the Jewish Journal, describing the event, with great photos and quotes.

When there’s a story worth telling, there’s usually someone who will tell it.    This event was a labor of love for the Federation and the families that have made South Florida their home for more than 50 years.   The Jewish Journal did it justice, providing insight and a understanding of what it was like to be Jewish in South Florida those many years ago.

We’re proud of our clients and the good work they do.  We’re proud to reach out to the media with these stories.

Click on the image to read the story.

Boardroom Communications Account Executive Michelle Friedman was recently named the Publicity Chair for the 10^th Annual For The Public Good Gala. The event is Legal Aid Service of Broward County’s Annual fundraiser, with proceeds to benefit families and individuals in gaining access to equal justice.  As Publicity Chair, Michelle will work with the Publicity Committee to promote the event throughout the Broward community.

Michelle has been with Boardroom since November 2006, and has been actively involved in community and professional organizations, as well as events. She serves as Secretary for NEXT, a joint project between Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. She has also been involved with the promotion of Florida’s Children First events around the state for several years.

The For The Public Good gala will be held Friday, October 14, 2011 at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina.  For more information call 954-736-2429.

Boardroom Communications, one of South Florida’s leading full-service public relations and marketing firms, recently participated in The Broward Outreach for the Homeless Hope Tote Project. Members of the firm donated shampoo, socks, soap toothbrushes, deodorant and other toiletries to fill the purple Hope Totes distributed by the center.  The center’s aim is to reach out to the homeless and needy to provide food, shelter, and other basic necessities through donations and proceeds from their thrift store. 

You’re invited to join us for Margaux’s Miracle Foundation’s Third Annual Night At The Theatre, Friday, April 1 at Actor’s Playhouse in Coral Gables. A private wine and cheese tasting will be held at 6:30 p.m., with the performance of August: Osage County starting at 8 p.m.  Reserved orchestra seats cost $65 per person.

Click image below for more information. Hope to see you there!

You’re invited to join us for the 4^th Annual American Fine Wine Competition Gala Dinner presented by Patriot National Insurance Group. Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy competition-winning wines and a five-course dinner prepared by the esteemed chefs at Hyatt Pier Sixty-Six. Entertainment for the night includes guest Emcee Alan Kalter, announcer for The Late Show with David Letterman, famed performance artist Michael Israel, Dayve Stewart & the Vibe, and Temptations singer Richard Street and his new ‘Temptations’ Band.

Click on image to view details. Hope to see you there!

More than 100 children will celebrate the Miracle of Hanukkah at the JAFCO (Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options) Village on December 6, 2010. They even get to climb up mountains of snow and throw snowballs.

Julie and Howard Talenfeld always look forward to the holiday season and all the joy it brings.  But they recognize that not everyone is fortunate to experience holiday cheer – or even basic necessities like food, shelter and clothing.  For the fifth consecutive year, the couple will sponsor JAFCO’s Hanukkah party – so the dozens of foster children who live in the residences at the Sunrise Village and out in the community get to celebrate the holiday and enjoy its many traditions.

“When I think of the miracle of Hanukkah I believe an even greater miracle occurs when JAFCO’s wonderful staff and supporters do their part to make a big difference in these children’s lives,” said Julie Talenfeld, President of Boardroom Communications, a PR agency in Plantation.

“As a young child, Hanukkah was my favorite part of the winter holiday season. My family always had a huge party every year with all of our relatives and friends, and today my husband Howard and I continue this tradition in our own home for our children, family and friends to enjoy.”

The annual party for the children and families of JAFCO will be held on December 6 and will feature dreidels, traditional jelly doughnuts and even snow.